Phonograph



Dec. 1940- H. F. M. GRAMANN 2,223,414

PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 18, 1939 JIM i 1NVENTOR Hemrich F Max Gramcmn.

A TORNEY Patented! ee. 3 i946) STATES PHONOGRAPH Heinrich F. MaxGramann, Orange, N. 1., assignmto Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, West0range, N. 1., a, corporation of New Jersey Application August 1a, 4939,Serial No. 290,740

Claims.

translating device relative to a record is selec-- tively controlled bythe engagement and disengagement of a feed nut with and from a feedscrew, the feed nut being for example carried by a carriage which movesone of the mentioned elements. The invention is of esepcial value inconnection with phonographs adapted for the recordation, or selectiverecordation and reproduction, of sound, such as the commercialphonographs commonly known as dictating machines."

In the use of phonographs of the type described it is desirable that themanipulation intended to engage the feed nut with the feed screw shallinsure a complete engagement. If it fails to do this, a slack is leftbetween the threads of the nut and the screw, of some length up to thespacing between successive convolutions of the thread, and the initialperiod of operation following the manipulation will be consumed intaking up this slack, without any actual feeding or driving of thecarriage. The recordation of sound supplied to the translating deviceduring this period will accordingly pile up; in the case of helicalgroove recording, the piling up is an incident of the initial groovingnot being helical, but purely circular. In any event there may be lostthe effective recordation of sound supplied during this initial period.

It is an object of my invention to provide a novel and improvedstructure whereby, upon manipulation intended to effect feed nutengagement with the feed screw, a complete such engagement is insured.

If during the act of engagement the nut be displaced a predetermineddistance (for example equal to the spacing between thread convolutions)relative to the carriage in a direction opposite to that of driving bythe feed screw, the slack may be dependably eliminated in all cases. Inany individual case'some' portion of the displacement is absorbed intaking up the slack, while the balance may be absorbed in a permissiblemovement of the carriage in the direction of driving.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved structure whereinduring the engagement of the feed nut the slack will first be eliminatedand the carriage thereafter subjected to a slight movement in thedirection of its driving.

In arranging for the abovementioned displacement of the feed nutrelative to the carriage,

. the feed nut may be movably or yieldably sup- (CI. IL-424.8)

ported to the carriage. But at the completion of the manipulationintended to effect feed nut engagement, it is desirable that the nut besecurely coupled to the carriage as to movement in the drivingdirection. I

It is an object of my invention to provide an 5 improved arrangementwhereby yielding and secure relationships are obtained at theappropriate times.

It is a general object to provide a simple, eflective and readilymanufactured structure for carrying and controlling the feed nut.

Other and allied objects will more fully appear from the followingdescription and the appended clalms.

In the description of the invention reference is had to the accompanyingdrawing, of which Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of theupper portion of a phonograph in which my invention. is embodied,principally showing the translating device carriage, the feed nutsupported therein, and the feed screw with which the nut is engageable;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the portion of the phonographshown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view taken along theline 3-3 of Figure 1, showing in particular the top of the feed nutsuppo Figure ,4 is a bottom view of the feed nut support, showing thenut and the means through which the nut is can'ied by the support; and

Figure 5 is a further enlarged vertical crosssectional view takensubstantially along the line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Reference being had to Figures 1 and 2, there will be seen (in Figure 1)a record supporting device or mandrel I, on which there is adapted to besupported a cylindrical record R (typically though not limitatively a.wax record) the mandrel I is adapted to be rotated by means not here- 40in necessary to show. Parallel with the mandrel are provided the frontand back carriage rods 2 and 3, on which the carriage l is slidablymounted. The carriage may include vertical leithand and righthand sidemembers in and 4b, a top member to, and a sleeve 5 extending between theside members about the front carriage rod 2. Behind and parallel to therod 2 is provided the feed screw 20, rotatable (for examplesimultaneously with mandrel rotation) by means not herein necessary toshow. The feed nut 2| is supported, in the carriage, above thefeed screw20, through mechanism hereinafter described.

In the forward portion of the carriage is carried the translating device5. While no limitation to any particular type of such device isintended, it may for example be a sound box which in its essentials isof the type disclosed in U. S. 5 Patent No. 1,989,198, issued January29, 1935, on application of Charles Huenlich. Thus it may include therecording stylus I and reproducing stylus 8, respectively carried by twocircular members 8 and I each pivotally mounted as 10 at the point Pat'the front of the device. In the carriage is carried a mechanism forselectively engaging the recording stylus, the reproducing stylus, orneither stylus with the record, to place the translating devicerespectively in recording, l5 reproducing or neutral condition. Such amechanism, itself known in the art, has been fractionally indicatedherein by the illustration of a member I! rotatably surrounding thesleeve 5 within the carriage, and by the partial illustra- 20 tion oflifting fingers II and I2, each of which is adapted for movement by therotation of member i3 to selectively raise a respective one of thecircular members 8 and Ill. The angular position of member l3 about thesleeve 5 may 25 be controlled by a lever I6 extending from that memberupwardly through an elongated aperture l5 in the carriage top member 4c.when the member i3 is in its illustratedrposition both the circularmembers 8 and I may be in raised po- 50 sition, holding both the styli Iand 8 away from the record and thus establishing a neutral condition ofthe translating device. When the lever I5 is moved forwardly and themember i3 thus rotated counterclockwise (when viewed as in 35 Figure 1)both the circular members 9 and I0 may be lowered, to result in contactof the recording stylus I with the record and thus the establishment ofa recordation condition of the translating device. When the lever I6 ismoved 0 rearwardly and the member l3 thus rotated clockwise, thecircular member I0 only may be lowered, to result in contact of thereproducing stylus III with the record and thus the establishment of areproduction condition of the translat- 45 ing device.

It will be understood that when the mandrel and feed screw are rotated,with the feed nut in engagement with the feed screw as hereinafter morefully described, either stylus in contact with 50 the record willtraverse a spiral path thereon. If the lever l5 be adjusted forengagement of the recording stylus with the record, the translatingdevice may cause that stylus to engrave in the record a spiral groove ofdepth undulating in ac- 55 cordance with sound or sound-representingenergy supplied to the translating device (for example, through the neck|9 appearing as part of the translating device in Fig. 1). If the leverl8 be adjusted for engagement of the reproducing w stylus with therecord, the translating device may serve to deliver (for example,through the neck l9), sound or sound-representing energy translated froman undulating record groove being traversed by the reproducing stylus.

65 In addition to its control of the translating device, the lever l5may be made to move an arm system 50 for control of the feed nutengagement-for example to cause that engagement when the translatingdevice is conditioned for 70 either recordation or reproduction, and tohold the nut disengaged from the feed screw when the translating deviceis conditioned in neutral. The same arm system may conveniently beemployed to provide a detent for retaining the lever II in u that one ofits three positions to which it may at any time be adjusted. While themanner in which it influences the feed nut is detailed hereinafter, thearm system itself may now be described. I

The arm system 50 may comprise a generally 5 vertical plate 5i extendingfrom side to side within the carriage, and having two ears 52 extendingforwardly therefrom adjacent the respective carriage side members to bepivotally mounted on a cross rod 48 which extends be- 10 tween thecarriage side members somewhat to the rear of the sleeve 5. The lefthandportion of the plate 5| is extended downwardly from the ears 52, andfrom its bottom portion there is folded forwardly in a vertical plane anarm 54;

-this may extend to underneath the member I! above-mentioned. The endportions of the member l3 may be provided with extensions or lugsdirected downwardly and slightly rearwardly (indicated in Figure 1 bythe lefthand such lug I30) and therebetween may be secured a horizontalcross pin 48, surrounded by a roller 41. The arm 54 is biased upwardlyto bear against this roller-- 1. e.,' the arm system 50 is biasedclockwise (when viewed as in Figure 1) about the cross rod 49- by astrong spring 55 tensioned between the forward extremity of arm 54 and2. lug 55 secured in the carriage diagonally thereabove. The top surfaceof the arm 54 is provided with a raised portion 58, from which cammingsurfaces ill and 80 62 lead rearwardly and forwardly to lower surfaceportions BI and 53, respectively; and a slight indentation 59 may beprovided centrally of the raised portion 58. When the lever I5 ispositioned for neutral adjustment of the translating :5 device, theroller 41 may lie in the slight indentation 59 in the raised portion 58,holding the arm system 55 in the illustrated position. As the lever I6is moved into either recordation or reproduction position (moving to therespective extremity of the aperture i5 and correspondingly rotating themember I3), the roller 41 will be rocked either rearwardly or forwardlyto pass over the respective one of the camming surfaces 50 and 62 intoat least substantial contact with the respective one of the lowersurface portions 5| and 53the arm system in response to its biasmeanwhile executing an appreciable clockwise movement from itsillustrated position.

Attention may now be directed to the feed nut and feed screw; these areparticularly well seen in the enlarged Figure 5. They have beenillustrated as arranged for the driving of the carriage from left toright in the phonographwhich is from right to left in the showing ofFigure 5, as indicated by the arrow therein. The feed screw by way oftypical example has been shown as having a single thread The face of thefeed screw exposed toward the direction in which the carriage is driven,designated as 20a, no my be termed the driving face; the other face,designated as 20b, may be termed the seating face. The feed nut 2| is ofapproximately square plan, and its arcuate bottom surface is cut with athread similar to that of the feed screw and 65 adapted for engagementtherewith. The face of the nut thread exposed toward the driving face20a of the feed screw thread has been designated as am, and may betermed the driven face; the face exposed toward the seating face 20b ofthe feed screw thread has been designated as lib, and may be termed theseating face of the nut thread. I prefer that the driving and drivenfaces 25a and 2la be disposed essentially at right angles to the axis ofthe feed screw, with the sesame seating faces 2% and 2th oblique to thataxis, though unnecessary limitations in this respect are not intended.

In engaging the feed nut with the feed screw in accordance with myinvention, the nut may be moved relative to the carriage, first towardthe screw substantially at right angles to the screw (typicallysubstantially parallel with the driving and driven faces 23a and amuntil the seating faces 2 lb and 20b are in contact with each other(resulting in a partial nut-screw engagement), and then sidewardly,oppositely'to the direction of carriage driving. During the sidewardmovement, which may be of predetermined or substantially predetermineddistance, pressure on the nut toward and perpendicular to the screw ismaintained, so that the seating face 2|b of the nut will slide along theseating face 23b of the screw for whatever fraction of theinter-convolution spacing is required to bring the driving and drivenfaces 2|a and 23b into contact with each other (completing the nut-screwengagement); and after this contact is established the residue of thesideward movement is taken up in advancing of the carriage in thedriving direction. Finally the nut may be securely locked to thecarriage as to sideward or driving-direction movement.

A structure according to my invention, for nut engagement in the manneroutlined, is illustrated in all the figures; its details, however, arebest seen in the relatively enlarged Figures 3, 4 and 5.

The feed nut 2| is immediately secured to the bottom of a nut mount 23,as by screw 22. The main part of the nut mount may be in the form of ahorizontal plate. From the lefthand extremity of this plate there may befolded acutely downwardly and rightwardly a wide lug 24. From thecentral portion of the righthand extremity of the plate there may befolded diag-- onally downwardly, parallel to lug 24, a lug 25. The frontand rear portions of the righthand extremity of the plate are extendedsomewhat beyond the central portion just mentioned; and from them theremay be folded downwardly, parallel to the lugs abovementioned, the lugs26.

The nut mount 23 is movably carried by a support 28, the main portion ofwhich may comprise a generally horizontal plate. A wide flange 29 isturned down from the front edge of this plate, and a relatively narrowerflange 33 is turned down from the rear edge; the spacingbetween theseflanges may be such as to just freely accommodate the front-and-backdimension of the mount 23. Between these flanges, near the respectiveends of .the support 28, and spaced below and parallel to its main plateportion, are secured two mutually parallel thin rods 3|. The mainportion of the mount 23 is disposed above these rods, being adapted torest thereon when the feed nut is disengaged from the feed screw. Thenthe righthand lugs 25 and 28 may be disposed on either side of, and inat least substantial contact with, the righthand rod 3|, while thelefthand lug 24 is disposed in at least substantial contact with thelefthand rod 3|. The mount 23-may be biased to rest on the rods 3| notonly by gravity. but also by two or more springs 35 compressed betweenthe mount 23 and the bases of upward depressions 32 in the support 28.

The front flange 23 of the support 23 is secured to the rear of theplate 3| (mentioned above as forming a part of the arm system 53), as byscrews 36, and is thus rendered secure with respect to the carriage asto horizontal movement, or movement in the driving direction. From theplate M the support 28 extends rearwardly so that the nut 2| hes overthe feed screw 20. With the lever l6 positioned (as illustrated) forneutral condition of the translating device, the angular position of theplate 5| about the cross rod 43 is such that the nut is held slightlyspaced from the feed screw (as illustrated) the mount 23 resting on rods3| as above described. But as the lever i8 is rocked either forwardly orrearwardly, to condition the translating device for either recordationor reproduc tion, the clockwise rocking of the arm system aboveexplained--and such rocking of the plate 5| in particularlowers thesupport 28 substantially perpendicularly toward the feed screw. Untilthe nut 2| contacts the feed screw 20, the nut mount 23 also movesperpendicularly toward the screw, remaining in its illustrated positionof rest on top of the rods 3| of the support.

when the seating face 2|b of the nut impinges on the seating face 20b ofthe screw further movement of the nut and mount perpendicularly to thescrew is of course prevented; the continued downward movement of thesupport 23 then causes the rods 3| to press downwardly against therespective lugs, 24 and 25. Those rods and lugs then act as cammingmeans for moving the mount and nut leftwardly relative to the support 23and the carriage-the distance of such movement being predetermined,preferabl at a little more than the inter-convolution spacing of thescrew thread, by the length of the lugs 24 and 25 below the points atwhich they contact or substantially contact the rods 3| when the mountrests on those rods. In the first portion of this camming action themount and nut will move leftwardly relative to the screw, the carriageremaining stationary; the now-furthercompressing springs 35 maintain thecontact of the seating faces 2lb and 23b of the nut and screw threads,so that this mount and nut movement is parallel with those faces. oroblique to the screw. At some intermediate instant in the camming actionthe driven face 2|a of the nut thread will contact the driving face 20aof the screw thread, completing the nut-screw engagement; furtherleftward movement of mount and nut being precluded. the balance of thecamming action will simply displace the rods 3| and support 28 and thecarriage some slight distance rightwardly, or in the direction ofdriving.

After the completion of the camming action, which occurs when the rods3| pass positions of contact with the extremities (24' and 25') of thelugs 24 and 25, the support 28 may still move further toward thescrew-the range of movement of the arm system 53 being for examplealmost enough to bring the main portion of the support 28 into contactwith the top of the nut mount 23. In this final movement of the supportthe nut mount (and thus the nut) may be interlocked with the support asto relative movement in the driving direction. The interlocking may beaccomplished by two or more pins 33 secured in and extending downwardlyfrom the main portion of the support 28, and fitting into respectiveholes 21 in the main portion of the nut mount 23 during the finalsupport movement. The lower extremities of the pins 33 are preferablyconically tapered, so that the pins will be positively guided into theholes in spite of any possible slight inaccuracy or play in the previousalignment of the mount with the support. During the final supportmovement'the springs 35 are still further compressed but however smallthe final spacing between the mount and support, sufiicient space foreach spring is provided by its respective recess 32 above mentioned. Ahole 28' in the main portion of the support 28 freely admits the head ofthe screw 22 when the mount and support are in close relationship toeach other.

In the initial portion of a reverse movement of the control lever l6--i.e., from either recordation or reproduction position to neutralposition, with attendant rocking of the arm system 50 and raising of thesupport 28-the mount 23 will remain stationary and the nut in contactwith the feed screw. But when the mount and support have been unlockedfrom each other and the right-hand rod 3| has reached contact with thelugs 26 (at or substantially at their ends 26'), that rod will cam thenut mount diagonally rightwardly and upwardly until the rods reach thebottom of the main portion of the mount. In the final portion of themovement the support and mount will of course rise together to theirillustrated positions.

It will be understood that the camming movement of the mount relative tothe support, in both nut engagement and disengagement, is an inclinedmovement which is diagonally leftwardupward or rightward-downwardforexample, substantially at right angles to the seating faces 20b and 2 lbof the screw and nut threads. Within the limits of their lengths, thelugs 26 and 25 (the latter supplemented by 24) act in cooperation withthe rods 3| to guide the relative movement between mount and support inthis direction.

While I have disclosed the feed nut engagement and disengagement ascontrolled by the lever which also serves to condition the translatingdevice, this is by way of preferred example only. And it will beunderstood that many other details of the disclosure may be variedwithin wide limits without departure from the spirit or scope of theinvention. That scope I undertake to set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a phonograph having translating means and record-supporting means,one of said means being drivable relative to the other, and a rotatablefeed screw: the combination of a feed nut engageable with said feedscrew; a support through which driving movement may be imparted to saiddrivable means, said nut being yieldably carried by said support; meansfor efiecting a movement of said support transversely toward said screw,whereby first to effect a partial engagement of said nut with saidscrew; and means for completing said engagement, including meansoperated by said support upon the further transverse movement thereoffor moving said nut relative to said support oppositely to the drivingdirection.

2. In a phonograph having translating means and record-supporting means,one of said means being drivable relative to the other, and a rotatablefeed screw: the combination of a feed nut engageable with said feedscrew, a first of the two races of the thread of said screw being adriving face adapted to drive said nut and a fi'fst of the two faces ofthe thread of said nut being a driven face adapted to be driven by saidscrew; a support through which driving movement may be imparted to saiddrivable means, said nut being yieldably carried by said mpport;

means for eii'ecting a movement of. said support transversely towardsaid screw, whereby first to carry the second race of said nut intoengagement with the second race 01. said screw; and means renderedefiective upon the further transverse movement or said support formoving said nut relative to said support oppositely to the drivingdirection, whereby to engage said driving and driven faces.

3. The combination according to claim 2, 1ur ther including bias meansinterposed between said support and said nut for maintaining theengagement of said seating faces during said further support movement.

4. In a phonograph having translating means and record-supporting means,one of said means being drivable relative to the other, and a rotatablefeed screw: the combination of a feed nut engageable with said feedscrew; 8. support through which driving movement may be imparted to saiddrivable means, said nut being carried by said support and biasedrelative thereto for displacement therefrom in the direction of saidscrew; stop means secured to said support for establishing a normal suchdisplacement; means for effecting a movement of said supporttransversely toward said screw, whereby first to bring said nut intopartial engagement with said screw and thereafter to reduce saiddisplacement; and cam means, rendered efiective as said displacement isreduced, for completing said engagement.

5. In a phonograph having translating means and record-supporting means,one of said means being drivable relative to the other, and a rotatablefeed screw: the combination of a feed nut engageable with said feedscrew; a support through which driving movement may be imparted to saiddrivable means, said nut being carried by said support and biasedrelative thereto for displacement therefrom in the direction of saidscrew; stop means secured to said support for limiting saiddisplacement; means for efiecting a movement of said supporttransversely toward said screw, whereby first to bring said nut intopartial engagement with said screw; and cam means operative upon thefurther transverse movement of said support to complete said engagement,comprising said stop means and cooperating means secure with respect tosaid nut.

6. In a phonograph having translating means and record-supporting means,one of said means being drivable relative to the other, and a rotatablefeed screw: the combination of a feed nut engageable with said feedscrew; a support through which driving movement may be' imparted to saiddrivable means, said nut being yieldably carried by said support; meansfor efiecting a movement of said support transversely toward said screw,whereby first to bring said nut into partial engagement with said screw;means operated upon a further transverse movement of said support formoving said nut relative to said support oppositely to the drivingdirection, whereby to complete said engagement; and means, associatedwith said support and with said nut and rendered effective upon thefinal transverse movement of said support, for interlocking said nut andsupport as to relative movement in the driving direction.

'7. In a phonograph having translating means and record-supportingmeans, one of said means being drivable relative to the other, and arotatable feed screw: the combination of a feed nut engageable with saidfeed screw; a mount with aaaaaia which said nut is secure; a supportthrough which driving movement may be imparted to said drivable meansbut movable relative to that means transversely of the drivingdirection, said mount being movably carried by said support forengagement with said screw upon a transverse movement of said support;and means, provided in said support and in said mount and renderedeffective in a continued transverse movement of said support, forinterlocking said nut and support as to relative movement in the drivingdirection.

8. In a phonograph having translating means and record-supporting means,one of said means being drivable relative to the other, and a rotatablefeed screw: the combination of a feed nut engageable with said feedscrew; a mount to which said nut is secured; a support through whichdriving movement may be imparted to said drivable means, said mountbeing yieldably carried by said support; means for effecting a movementof said support transversely toward said screw, whereby first to bringsaid nut into partial engagement with said screw; and cam means forcausing the further transverse movement of said support to complete saidengagement, comprising an inclined surface on said mount and cooperatingmeans secured in said support.

9. In a phonograph having translating means and record-supporting means,one of said means being drivable relative to the other, and a rotatablefeed screw: the combination of a feed nut engageable with said feedscrew; a mount to which said nut is secured; a support through whichdriving movement may be imparted to said drivable means, said mountbeing yieldably carried by said support; means for moving said supporttransversely toward said screw, whereby first to bring said nut intopartial engagement with said screw and thereafter to cause movement ofsaid mount relative to said support; and means, comprised in said mountand said support, for guiding the relative movement of said mount andsupport in a direction inclined to said screw.

10. In a phonograph having translating means and record-supportingmeans, one of said means being drivable relative to the other, and arotatable feed screw: the combination of a feed nut engageable with saidfeed screw; a support through which driving movement may be imparted tosaid drivable means, including a pair of parallel rods transverse to thedriving direction; a mount to which said nut is secured, comprising aplate biased to rest against said rods; means for moving said supporttransversely of the driving direction, whereby first to bring said nutinto partial engagement with said screw; and lugs extending from saidplate inclinedly underneath said rods and forming therewith means forcamming said mount upon further transverse support movement after saidpartial engagement.

HEINRICH F. MAX GRAMANN.

